Paphos 1

  Chapter 5

  The sun set quickly on this planet and it would soon be getting too dark to see. The team still perched in the entryway as they had been for over an hour, ever since Athen almost slid down to her electric death. They argued over the safest way to get to that key panel. Carolina’s dirt cloud showed them a great deal, but they still needed to study everything they could find before proceeding.

  “Carolina, you look sleepy. Are you tired?” Austin asked.

  “No, I’m fine,” she answered, though her eyes were drooping and she wavered on her feet. Her cheeks looked flush red. Austin felt her face, she was way too warm.

  “Just do the dirt thing again,” Athen said, throwing her hands in the air. Orlean and Helena chuckled together. Engineers had no patience. But a researcher could analyze this data until next week.

  “If you insist,” Orlean said, giving in. “I don’t know how much use our instruments will be here, there’s just so much interference, I don’t even think our radios will work right,” he said.

  “That could be a big problem,” Austin said, still hoping someone sided with him.

  “Not if we stick together, stay in groups,” Dmitry said.

  Austin paced. They would clearly miss dinner by now and soon it would be time to hit the rack. “I’m heading back to the quadrohuts, it’s dinnertime, no one’s eaten, Carolina has had a long day,” Austin just finally said.

  “Yeah, might be awhile before we proceed, you may as well,” Helena said looking like she wanted to join them.

  “Aye, we’ll be staying awhile, catch up in a few hours,” Dublin said. Athen rubbed her face, Dublin looked at the time. No one wanted to stop for dinner.

  “I’ll go with you,” Dmitry said, looking at Austin. “I’ll bring back some chow, and when it gets too late we can rotate shifts. First shift will swap out in five hours, that gets everyone a little bit of sleep tonight,” Dmitry added. “Come on,” he said motioning to Austin and Carolina.

  “No,” Carolina said. “I will stay.”

  Austin looked at her for a moment before wrapping his arm around her. “Sorry kid, you come with me,” he smiled.

  “I want to stay,” she replied.

  “I said no,” Austin said. He had to pull her by the shoulders to get her walking away from the wall. For whatever reason, she did not want to leave.

  The walk back was getting dark, soon Austin could barely see his own feet. Their suits came with a utility non direction light, a glowing lime green, and without it they would never find their way home. He held Carolina’s hand the whole time, wondering why it felt so warm still. With the antibodies they all carried, fever should be nearly impossible. Austin kept looking up at the speckled night sky, just to see some light. Paphos’ night was like a black canvas of colored marbles and diamonds, utterly magnificent, and Austin would think of this view long after leaving a few weeks from now. But somehow that glow wouldn’t reach the ground, as if the inescapable forest around them captured and snuffed the light. Carolina let go of Austin’s hand and walked in front, Dmitry took the opportunity to walk shoulder to shoulder with Austin.

  “We made an incredible find today, I’m sure you would agree…” Dmitry said.

  “I do.”

  Austin wanted to say more, he wanted to say that everyone was acting foolish and that it was time to report this discovery. But Dmitry had a way of controlling a conversation, and Austin didn’t need anything he said used against him somehow. Then Austin thought of something, perhaps Dmitry wasn’t accompanying him back to the huts, maybe he was escorting him back. Was this to make sure Austin didn’t contact the company on his own? He hadn’t even thought of that until just now.

  “Everyone is so excited… I’ve never seen a crew work through dinner without grumbling. Probably the only meal Dublin’s ever missed, eh?” Dmitry said.

  “Yes, probably,” Austin said. Carolina kept her pace as they followed close behind. Dmitry kept an eye on her as they spoke.

  “You know…,” Dmitry said, “… we never got to finish our conversation from before. I was hoping we could come to agree on what’s best here.”

  “And what’s best?” Austin asked.

  Dmitry smiled. “I’ve always thought you were a real smart guy, Austin, someone who saw the gray between black and white.”

  Austin didn’t have a reply to that. He stepped a bit further away from Dmitry as they walked.

  “Dublin really sees what I was trying to explain earlier, and I think the rest of the team does too,” Dmitry said.

  Austin nodded. “I’m sure, but violating the contract could ruin how great of a discovery this is,” Austin said. “There are criminal penalties, not to mention the fact that we signed away any claims to discovery made during expedition,” he said hoping to reason with Dmitry.

  “Exactly. That’s why the whole team is counting on you, to make sure that if we do bring something back, that it’s ours. We are the ones on this expedition, risking our lives, giving up precious years, we deserve this more than they do,” Dmitry said. “The company’s contract is unfair and unrealistic. They would only use whatever we find here for profit. We could use it to really change people’s lives, and besides, if anyone should profit from this, it should be us. We found it.”

  Austin bit his tongue. No matter what he said, it wouldn’t be good.

  “Austin, obviously we will report the find eventually, but we want to know what’s down there first. We can’t do it without you,” Dmitry said. His voice had lowered.

  “I think everyone has forgotten the voice of reason. But it’s not like I’m going to contact headquarters by myself,” Austin said.

  “I know you won’t. You have too much to lose,” Dmitry said. The way he said that, and the way he was staring at the back of Carolina’s head, Austin stopped walking.

  “What did you say?” Austin asked.

  “I’m telling you that you won’t say a single word. I’ll make absolutely certain of it,” Dmitry said, stopping and staring Austin in the eye. Austin felt his hands clench into fists, until he noticed Carolina was looking at them. “Remember, I am the ranking officer,” Dmitry said.

  Austin burned, unable to stop glaring. He was two seconds away from punching Dmitry in the face, so instead he grabbed Carolina by the hand and stayed well ahead of him the rest of the way. He tried to calm down. Assaulting Dmitry would only get himself detained for the rest of the trip, some memory that would be for Carolina. But Dmitry went too far threatening his little girl. Greed had taken control of Dmitry and the others already. Austin didn’t need this, maybe he should just keep his head down while everyone else practiced being idiots.

  When they returned to the quadrohuts Austin practically had to drag Carolina to her room, she just wanted to wait by the door until it was time to go back. She refused dinner. After awhile though, she laid her head down on the pillow.

  “Daddy, I don’t feel good,” she finally said.

  Austin stopped and looked at his little girl, her cheeks red and hair matted. “It’s been a long day, you’ll feel better in the morning,” he assured her. “Are you sure you don’t want a snack before bed? You didn’t eat since lunch,” Austin asked. Her subtle moaning was the only reply.

  Austin scratched his head walking to the mess area. She looked sick, but that was unlikely if not impossible on this trip. The inoculations were so efficient, getting sick just didn’t happen. If she was getting sick they would need a doctor, and Dmitry was coincidentally the only medic. She was probably just over exerted, maybe dehydrated.

  Austin sat down with his instant coffee and a slice of toast and powdered eggs, all fresh out of the wrapper. It was breakfast food, but he couldn’t stomach the dinner menu right now. As he pretended to review whatever data was on the table he ignored his toast and eggs, thoughtfully sipping his black coffee. Dmitry sat down at the table across from him.

&
nbsp; “I’ve been thinking, we still need our core assignments done on time,” Dmitry said.

  “What? Why?” Austin asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? I have to make the weekly report, and they’ll wonder why all research is stalled. And, it’s what we came to do originally, finding evidence of intelligent life doesn’t automatically negate that,” Dmitry added.

  Of course, Austin thought to himself. Dmitry would give him busy work, keep him out of the way so that he wouldn’t be a problem. Fine, he didn’t care. Austin had nothing to gain by arguing and everything to lose. “As long as Carolina is alright, I don’t care what we do. I think she’s sick, I need you to take a look at her,” Austin said.

  “She’s just exerted, you know we don’t get sick on these expeditions,” Dmitry replied. “I’m sure she’ll be fine by morning.” He stood up and clapped a hand on Austin’s shoulder before leaving the mess area.

  Long after Dmitry had retired to his room, the only room that wasn’t shared, Austin forced a bite of egg and toast in him, and then quickly washed it with the coffee. He could still hear Carolina’s stirring and occasional moans. She really wasn’t feeling good. If Austin didn’t get any sleep he wasn’t going to be any use tomorrow either, but with the day’s events he doubted he would be able to sleep. Since Helena and Athen weren’t in the room sleeping, Austin crawled into the free bunk next to Carolina. He lay there for some time wandering in his thoughts. He cared, he didn’t care, he cared, he didn’t care. Dmitry wanted to find something he could bring back and claim it as his own, they all did, hoping to find some technology or artifact or something that could net them a fortune. Let them. He didn’t care. And in that, he slept.

  He thought he heard birds chirping, but realized he was just dreaming. There were no birds on Paphos, not even insects. He roused enough from his sleep to realize Helena and Athen were there, undressing and getting into their racks. The five hours must be up. Austin rubbed his eyes and sat up, feeling like his head just touched the rack minutes ago.

  “Hey,” he said to Athen, rubbing his face.

  “Are you lost? The men’s room is across the hall,” Athen whispered with a smile.

  “Sorry, I was just keeping Carolina company,” he said motioning to her rack. Helena was laying down in the rack that Carolina had been sleeping in. “She must be awake already,” he said smoothing his hair back with his hands.

  “I didn’t see her, are you sure she’s not in the other room?” Athen asked.

  “She’s around,” Austin rubbed his eyes open and checked the men’s bunks down the hall. There was no sign of Carolina. He’d get some coffee and find her.

  “Hey, Dmitry went back already,” Athen said. The earliest light was tickling the horizon as Austin looked outside, still hours before daylight. “Do you need help finding her?” Athen asked, her voice betrayed that she was tired and hoped he’d say no.

  “No, I’ll radio her, I’m sure she’s around,” Austin said. She had to be around somewhere. Maybe Dmitry took her back to the site. He really wouldn’t have had a reason to do that though.

  “Carolina, where are you kiddo?” Austin said talking into the radio channel on his suit. Her return signal was a wall of static. “Carolina?” Something about this place was causing radio problems, she probably couldn’t hear him. Technology, every time. Austin went back to the bunks and checked both rooms, he checked the radio room, the mess hall, the restroom, Carolina was not inside the quadrohuts. Austin buttoned up his expedition coat and stepped outside. He walked all the way around the huts but she wasn’t there. He looked over at the landing craft. She wouldn’t have been able to get inside and he didn’t see her by the landing gear. With a grunt Austin realized she must have gone back to the site by herself. He was going to have to instill some discipline in her. Why wasn’t she tired?

  The walk to the site, just a couple kilometers, took almost twice as long on Austin’s patience than it had the day before. When he approached he saw Dmitry was at the site, standing in the entryway with his hands on his hips.

  “Have you seen Carolina?”

  “She was with you,” Dmitry said unconcerned.

  “Have you seen her?!”

  Dmitry’s face changed in a way that Austin didn’t perceive. “No, I haven’t,” Dmitry said, his eyes fixed down the ramp.

  It took a moment but Austin soon understood why Dmitry wouldn’t look at him. Staring down the ramp he saw that the door at the bottom was open. Someone, somehow, had opened it. The inside of the underground facility now beckoned. Austin’s heart sank. Carolina couldn’t be inside, could she?

  “Did Orlean get the door open?” Austin asked, trying to piece things together.

  “No. Someone would have told me when they came back. I found it like this,” Dmitry said. “Your radio doesn’t work, does it?”

  “No,” Austin said, looking around for his little girl. He kept eyeing the door down below. If she was inside...

  “It’s strange to not have the radios working, Orlean wondered if it was because of the energy signature in this place,” Dmitry said.

  “Yeah, maybe,” Austin answered a little frustrated. He didn’t see Carolina anywhere, and he was starting to worry. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

  “You looked tired,” Dmitry said.

  “Was Carolina with me?”

  “No. But then again, I thought she had her own bunk,” Dmitry said.

  “Damn it. Carolina!” Austin called out into the forest, hoping to hear her voice, hoping she just loped out from behind a bush. He peered down the ramp and into the waiting door below. He hoped she didn’t go in there. How would she have deactivated the energy field? She had to be somewhere else, anywhere else. Maybe she was somewhere on the other side of the quadrohuts. Austin peered into the surrounding forest, scanning every bit of growing light for his daughter.

  A clatter of dirt fell that Dmitry had tossed. “The energy field is down,” he said.

  “Carolina! This isn’t funny, come out now!” Austin shouted. Worry started to fill his voice.

  “You don’t think she’s in there, do you?” Dmitry asked, a curious expression on his face. If he smiled right now Austin really would punch him.

  “No. Not a chance,” Austin said.

  “It’s possible though, isn’t it? She was the one who found the building,” Dmitry said.

  “Luck.”

  “And she did open the outer door, none of us could even find a trace of the door,” Dmitry said.

  “Stop. Just stop it.”

  “And she exposed the energy field with her dirt trick…” Dmitry said.

  “Shut up!!” Austin screamed. Silence rippled afterwards. Austin and Dmitry stared at each other, eye to eye. It was Dmitry who eventually retreated, but Austin knew he never really gave ground. Dmitry was someone who let you think what he wanted you to think. Finally Austin looked down the ramp. The open door still waited.